Bismarck by rvchima - FINISHED - Amati - Scale 1:200 - WWII German Battleship

[Canute]

The connection boats look like liberty boats for the crewmen to get back and forth. Pack 'em in like sardines?

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, rvchima said:

Fiddly Bits Installed

I spent a dozen tedious hours attaching all the fiddly bits described above. The model is starting to look like the Death Star from Star Wars.

If I remember right, the model department did buy a lot of battleships and other kits they thought they could use parts for the Death Star.

 

31 minutes ago, Canute said:

The connection boats look like liberty boats for the crewmen to get back and forth. Pack 'em in like sardines?

 

Rack 'em, pack 'em, and stack 'em.   Going to the shore they all sat nicely.  Coming back... different story.

[hof00]

6 hours ago, rvchima said:

Ship's boats, 395 hours, 174 days

I looked ahead in the instructions and there are about 12 more pages of fiddly bits to go 🤪. Harry (hof00) seemed to enjoy building the ship's boats so I decided to jump ahead and give them a go. There are 11 boats, all one-piece molded plastic with lots of PE. Lots of spraying, masking, spraying, masking, hand painting, attaching tiny parts, more hand painting, and touch up. Here's the whole lot.

 

There are three basic designs, 3 motor/officer's launches.

Note that each boat has a tiny wheel and a prop. The prop is about 2 mm in diameter and has a hole about the size of a human hair. The instructions say to "enlarge the hole in the centre of the propeller if necessary." The holes have to be enlarged to about .45 mm. Luckily I thought to drill them before removing them from the fret, because I don't know how I could have held them otherwise.

 

 

Four "connection" motor boats. I don't know what that means.

 

Four simple boats stacked in 2 pairs. Plastic hulls and PE painted separately. These were easy.

 

I have all the lifeboat racks built so I will install the lifeboats next.

Hi Rod,

Your build is looking pretty damn good!!

The Ships Boats look awesome also, very nice work....

 

I reckon you are pretty much on the home straight.... 🙂

 

Cheers....HOF.

[rvchima]

Breakage Ratio 0.36

It's so frustrating. While carefully lashing down the boats I'd hear "boink," as a part that I installed weeks ago fell to the deck. All-in-all I installed 11 boats and broke off 2 rails, one gun barrel, and the entire platform holding the rear mast. Breakage ratio = 4/11 = 0.36. I have to be more careful. Now that everything is repaired, here are the boats in place.

I installed the cranes too by gluing a piece of aluminum tubing over a pin on the bottom, and fitting that to a hole in the deck. They can be turned and removed.

While I was fixing things I also resized the part that interfered with Bruno turret. I sanded about half of the thickness off the back with a disk sander, reattached and repainted it. Now Bruno turns as he should.

[hof00]

Hi Rod,

Very nice work there!!

Sorry to hear of the "Breakages" but sounds like a good recovery.

 

I'll look at modifying the Crane Bases and the "Bruno" interference piece also when I get to them, great advice thank you.... 🙂

 

What medium did you use for the "Lashing" on your Boats?

I'm also interested in what you are considering for your Rigging medium.... (I  purchased some EZLine some time ago but have never tried it.

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[Joe100]

The interference piece you mentioned is the cover for the ammunition hoist mechanism. 
 

The ship’s boats look awesome!

[rvchima]

4 hours ago, Joe100 said:

The interference piece you mentioned is the cover for the ammunition hoist mechanism. 
 

The ship’s boats look awesome!

Thanks Joe. That box seems too small for the 16" shells. Would it be for other ammunition? There was another device called an ammunition elevator on an upper deck, probably for AA guns. I commented on it on ted99's log because it was a pain to build.

 

[rvchima]

22 hours ago, hof00 said:

What medium did you use for the "Lashing" on your Boats?

I'm also interested in what you are considering for your Rigging medium.... (I  purchased some EZLine some time ago but have never tried it.

Harry,

 

I epoxied my boats in place, then lashed them with 0.4 mm waxed black thread left over from a sailing ship. That thread pulls easily through wood blocks but is quite difficult to pull through PE with its sharp edges. You might try a slightly smaller diameter.

 

My kit came with a large spool of very thin black monofilament line. I attached  a couple of pieces to the rear mast earlier as per the instructions. The line is so "springy" that it was very difficult to tie, but I think it will be perfect for main deck railings. The jury is still out on all the antennas and other upper rigging. EZline worked well on my Prinz Eugen but I am concerned that it will be brittle in a few years. Does anyone out there have experience with it long-term?

[Joe100]

No, the 15” Shells were loaded elsewhere, I can show you if you like. This hoist was for the AA guns serving that part of the ship. The door below the hoist machinery lead to the AA gunner ready room, which was in turn flanked by officer’s cabins. That area of the ship was mostly officer

use. One deck above, and about 50’ back, we would also have found another ammunition hoist. This one served the AA guns further up. There were many such hoists all over the ship. 

 

 

[Joe100]

Oh and I forgot to mention, I checked my resources and the photos of Bismarck in dry dock do predate the installation of the Sonar oscillators by a few months. The mine clearing boom was present though. This is why we seldom see the equipment modeled because sources on the installation are thin.

 

Another item you might be interested in is the theory that Bismarck may have carried a METOX radar detector. Evidence for this is very thin at best, but it is believed Group West may have installed an experimental system on BS prior to Rhine. While it’s also likely Bismarck was using her own radar antennae to pick up the British pulses, we do know that she was doing it somehow, someway. I’ve also researched the possibility that the Lorenz equipment aboard may have also had the capability to operate in the same frequency band, and it could have been adjusted to detect British radar pulses. Had she not been picking up the British radar, Lütjens would have likely maintained radio silence, and arrived safely in France. However, he thought he was being tracked, and chose to send a long, rambling, unimportant, message to Group West, which contained no information GW didn’t already have. In fact GW realized Bismarck had gone undetected and was pretty horrified when BS started transmitting. I would rank Lütjens misunderstanding of his radar equipment and the tactical situation at large as one of the biggest blunders in naval history. Most folks point to his refueling discussions early on, but I have always argued this was a non-issue. He made a rescission I would have made myself based on the circumstances. I can get into this if you like, but the whole “Bismarck left without refueling” argument is a very big oversimplification of the facts and not very accurate. His biggest fail was not keeping his mouth shut which got everyone killed.  
 

Anyway, the antenna for the METOX would likely have been installed on the fore mast, it would have been an “X” brace with each leg of the “X” connected by wire, probably not much more than 4 to 6 feet across at its widest. Not big at all, and probably impossible to spot in photos since it would have been a very last minute installation and photos during Rhine don’t give us a close enough view.  It was also probably installed horizontally too, making it doubly hard to spot. I sorta think they probably just ran the wires up the mainmast and splayed them out, not bothering to install the “X” bracket. This of course is only if the equipment was installed at all. So many mysteries remain. 

[hof00]

7 hours ago, rvchima said:

Harry,

 

I epoxied my boats in place, then lashed them with 0.4 mm waxed black thread left over from a sailing ship. That thread pulls easily through wood blocks but is quite difficult to pull through PE with its sharp edges. You might try a slightly smaller diameter.

 

My kit came with a large spool of very thin black monofilament line. I attached  a couple of pieces to the rear mast earlier as per the instructions. The line is so "springy" that it was very difficult to tie, but I think it will be perfect for main deck railings. The jury is still out on all the antennas and other upper rigging. EZline worked well on my Prinz Eugen but I am concerned that it will be brittle in a few years. Does anyone out there have experience with it long-term?

Thanks Rod.

I too was supplied with a spool of Mono Filament Line.

I have a bit of time up my sleeve before considering further.... 🙂

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[rvchima]

Upper Fore-deck Bits and Pieces

I've been away from home for about 10 days but am back to the Bismarck. The instructions have you adding all the fiddley bits one deck at a time, and I just finished the upper fore-decks. Here's a photo of the miscellaneous bits after painting.

The PE flying bridges were a bit of work to make, and many of the tiny plastic pieces have a couple of even smaller PE pieces to attach. Here's where they all go:

 

and here's the same view after everything is attached:

[hof00]

2 hours ago, rvchima said:

Upper Fore-deck Bits and Pieces

I've been away from home for about 10 days but am back to the Bismarck. The instructions have you adding all the fiddley bits one deck at a time, and I just finished the upper fore-decks. Here's a photo of the miscellaneous bits after painting.

The PE flying bridges were a bit of work to make, and many of the tiny plastic pieces have a couple of even smaller PE pieces to attach. Here's where they all go:

 

and here's the same view after everything is attached:

Hi Rod,

Some really good work there!!

The Bridge Wings look good.... I constructed my set some time ago, just the way the "Part-work" thingy goes....

 

Cheers.... HOF.

[rvchima]

OcCre Prinz Eugen

I just discovered that OcCre - Ocio Creativo, has announced a 1:200 model of the Prinz Eugen. It has a laser-cut, plank-on-bulkhead hull and lots of photo-etched and cast parts. They are listing it for pre-order at 499,99€, but ModelExpo is taking orders for $399.00 US. It looks like a beautiful model and a perfect companion to the Amati Bismarck. If I hadn't already built the lower-quality Aeronaut kit of the Prinz-Eugen I'd order one today.

[rvchima]

8 AA Guns

I just finished 8 AA guns. The model is getting so cluttered with guns that I had to mark them so you can see where they are.

[hof00]

5 hours ago, rvchima said:

8 AA Guns

I just finished 8 AA guns. The model is getting so cluttered with guns that I had to mark them so you can see where they are.

Hi Rod,

Awesome!! (With a capital "A" 🙂)

 

Not much left to do?

 

Cheers....HOF.

[rvchima]

More Little Parts, fresh out of the spray booth

[hof00]

Hi Rod,

Looking good!!

The photos are excellent, thank you, and a great source of reference.... 🙂

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[rvchima]

One Reason Not to Work Ahead

While installing some of those little parts, I've discovered that some are supposed to fit behind other parts that I've already installed. Like these aerators (ventilators?) that sit behind the secondary guns. Lucky I made those guns removable so they can be rotated.

[rvchima]

Catapult/Arado Clearance Issues

After partially assembling the two Arado aircraft and their catapult mounts, I checked the fit on the catapults. Either the aircraft mounts are too short, or the floats are too low, or the railings are too high, because the floats hit on the railings. I plan to add a 1 mm thick strip of wood between the catapult rail and the aircraft mount. The strip shown in the photo is extra long to help move the plane around while experimenting with the fit.

 

Apparently the cranes had to be collapsed to launch the aircraft, because the wings would totally hit the cranes. Seems like a bad idea when you need the cranes to recover the aircraft later. The instructions show the aircraft attached before the cranes are installed, but the aircraft have to be moved inboard about 1 cm to fit behind the cranes. Then the floats interfere with some upturned ramps that had to be bent downwards.

 

Finally, the Arado should have V-shaped struts between the wings  and floats. They are included on the PE sheet but are not shown in the instructions. I had not attached them when this photo was taken, but they are attached now.

 

 

[hof00]

7 hours ago, rvchima said:

Catapult/Arado Clearance Issues

After partially assembling the two Arado aircraft and their catapult mounts, I checked the fit on the catapults. Either the aircraft mounts are too short, or the floats are too low, or the railings are too high, because the floats hit on the railings. I plan to add a 1 mm thick strip of wood between the catapult rail and the aircraft mount. The strip shown in the photo is extra long to help move the plane around while experimenting with the fit.

 

Apparently the cranes had to be collapsed to launch the aircraft, because the wings would totally hit the cranes. Seems like a bad idea when you need the cranes to recover the aircraft later. The instructions show the aircraft attached before the cranes are installed, but the aircraft have to be moved inboard about 1 cm to fit behind the cranes. Then the floats interfere with some upturned ramps that had to be bent downwards.

 

Finally, the Arado should have V-shaped struts between the wings  and floats. They are included on the PE sheet but are not shown in the instructions. I had not attached them when this photo was taken, but they are attached now.

 

 

Hi Rod,

I was actually wondered this morning when you'd build the Aircraft. (Are you intending a folded wing version also?)

Interesting issues there and I'm happy that you have had a go before I get involved with these items.

Your Catapults are substantially longer than my "Kit."

I only get the end section with the two platforms.... Maybe it'll be o.k. 🙂

(I'll be referring to your photos for sure!!)

 

Cheers....HOF.

[rvchima]

Airplanes Complete

It took about 15 hours to build two airplanes. Now I remember why I don't build plastic models.

The bottoms of the airplanes are painted sky blue, but no one will ever see them. The tops are RLM 73 (Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium) as per the instructions. The camouflage was supposed to be RLM 72, a slightly darker green. I bought both colors by AK paints in Spain and tested them on a stick. It is painted with RLM 73 first and has a stripe of RLM 72 on top, believe it or not. After spending several hours masking off camouflage, I was NOT going to paint it with a color that no one could see, so I used olive drab instead. Voila!

I had to raise the bottoms of the catapult mount 3.5 mm to get the wings above the small guns.

 

On 5/8/2022 at 1:47 AM, hof00 said:

(Are you intending a folded wing version also?)

The instructions show one airplane with the wings folded back along the fuselage for storage in the hangar. That would have solved the clearance issue, but I like my airplanes with their wings extended.

[hof00]

1 hour ago, rvchima said:

Airplanes Complete

It took about 15 hours to build two airplanes. Now I remember why I don't build plastic models.

The bottoms of the airplanes are painted sky blue, but no one will ever see them. The tops are RLM 73 (Reichsluftfahrt Ministerium) as per the instructions. The camouflage was supposed to be RLM 72, a slightly darker green. I bought both colors by AK paints in Spain and tested them on a stick. It is painted with RLM 73 first and has a stripe of RLM 72 on top, believe it or not. After spending several hours masking off camouflage, I was NOT going to paint it with a color that no one could see, so I used olive drab instead. Voila!

I had to raise the bottoms of the catapult mount 3.5 mm to get the wings above the small guns.

 

The instructions show one airplane with the wings folded back along the fuselage for storage in the hangar. That would have solved the clearance issue, but I like my airplanes with their wings extended.

Hi Rod,

Your Aircraft look awesome!!

 

It really gives your Bismarck that "Something extra!!"

 

(3.5mm "Packing" is quite a bit at 1/200 but you cannot see or notice at all. I assume that this is directly under the "Aircraft" part of the Catapult.)

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

[hof00]

Hi Rod,

What color did you use to match wood to PE Decking sections?

(I have had a look on-line and found Vallejo Yellow Ochre to be a match, maybe....)

 

Cheers and Regards,

 

Harry.

 

[rvchima]

Bow & Stern Details, 500 hours, 217 days

I've been working on the numerous hatches, bars, capstans, anchors, etc. on the bow and stern. They just pushed me over the 500 hour mark on this build.

Back in April Joe100 asked about the GHG microphone array on the hull. Amati includes two small decals labeled "sound locator system" that go on the hull under the false bow wave. They aren't too obvious.

The instructions have you make 10 small hatches for the stern. There are 14 on the PE sheet. I made them all but scratched one and discarded it while installing the 10. Later I saw 4 more over the swastika that are not mentioned in the instructions. I installed the remaining 3, and used a random spare hatch that does not match - the black one.

The stern anchor is attached to the outside but does not penetrate the hull. The two little racks hold depth charges.

 

I just built a new, permanent base for the model and am waiting for the finish to dry. There is still quite a bit of rigging to install, and a handrail around the perimeter. It's getting close.

 

[rvchima]

I've Been Wanting to Make this Comparison

[pietkm]

Hi Rod,

Great job, as always. Now up to the perimeter railing, which my old eyes found one of the most difficult parts

of the build. But if you like ratlines you're gonna love this one. 

Piet

[hof00]

Awesome!!

 

Cheers....HOF.

[rvchima]

On 5/25/2022 at 8:16 PM, pietkm said:

Now up to the perimeter railing, which my old eyes found one of the most difficult parts

of the build. But if you like ratlines you're gonna love this one. 

Piet

Hi Piet,

It sounds like you have finished your Bismarck, so congratulations must be in order! We'd all love to see a photo or three if you can borrow a camera.

Rod

[rvchima]

Top Gun Maverick

I saw Top Gun Maverick last night at a local theater/brewery/pizza place. If you liked the original Top Gun in 1986, you will love this sequel. The action scenes are incredible, (maybe a little too incredible at the start of the movie), and the ending is is a fun throwback to the original. They've eliminated some of the sexist scenes and added a diverse cast, while still allowing Tom Cruise to be a maverick. The mission that Cruise and his students fly is a clear reference to X-wing fighters attacking the Death Star in Star Wars. It doesn't get much better than that.